I leave on Thursday for Dudley and Squeaky’s wedding in Las Vegas.
I’ve never been to Las Vegas. Really, I’ve not been to a lot of places, but my point here is that this may be the longest stretch of time I’ve yet spent in an airplane.
I went to Yellowstone in Wyoming in ‘96 - which is, literally, the farthest I’ve ever been from my New England home - but that destination was reached in a series of steps; my college roommate and I went from Boston to Cleveland (I think it was Cleveland - I don’t really remember at this point, but there was a stop-over in the midwest somewhere), then to Bozeman, Montana (what a trip THAT airport was - it was entirely filled with little tableau of stuffed woodland animals in creepy poses, set by artificial trees and rivers - and when I say “entirely filled,” I mean ENTIRELY filled. Gah). From Bozeman, we hopped on a little commuter prop plane that took us into the airport in Jackson, Wyoming. We took essentially the same route back, too. The longest leg was the Bozeman to Midwestern-T0wn-I-Can’t-Remember-Right-Now, which took about four hours.
We’re on a non-stop flight to Vegas, but I get to go through Kansas City on the way home (I’ve never been to Missouri before - does a one-hour stop-over count as a visit?). Mr. Chili won’t be coming home with me, though; he’ll be heading straight to New Mexico from Vegas to start work on the instrument launch they’ve been planning for the better part of two years and won’t be home again until the following Friday. Pout, sniff.
We’re charging up laptops and iPods for the trip (Mr. Chili, geeky genius that he is, has figured out how to burn DVDs to my iPod! I’m thinking of having him load up a couple of episodes of the second season of Grey’s Anatomy for me for the trip home), and I went to Barnes and Nobel the other day (BIG mistake) and bought myself a couple of promising books. Those, combined with the decongestant I need to take to keep my head from exploding on landing (the security people never ask if I’m carrying explosives…. little do they know that my eardrums qualify…) ought to keep me sufficiently occupied for the duration that I’m trapped in the long, metal tube.
I’m just hoping my bags arrive when I do…
Will the new dress tolerate being rolled into a carryon? I suggest packing that and extra undies in carryon just in case.
Everyone needs to see Las Vegas, the Land of Wretched Excess, at least once.
Have fun.
I wish you a fine trip. I left plenty of money available for winning there for you (well, what I mean is, I didn’t gamble, and assume the casinos are still flush, and thankful that I refrained).
Have a most excellent journey. I may need some help here at “Chaos Central” upon your return, so get plenty of R&R!
See the shows, stay out of the casinos. The are smoke filled. DO NOT assume the cars will stop for you when you cross the street. They won’t. This ain’t NH, baby.
What happens at your house when you are in Vegas stays at your house. All bets are off, except the Chili kids will be alive when you return. They may be in a mac and cheese coma, but they will be alive.
Really, Auntie? That’s all we care about. Well, that they are alive and that you don’t let them slack on their manners - reprogramming is a bitch…
Please may have some more mac and cheese, Auntie? Please may I top it with chocolate? Please may I assume carb-coma position now?
Have a great trip!
Minneapolis, I think. At least on the way back.
Vegas is the land of the absolute worst of the American way - Too Freakiing Much to be believed with way more thrown on top in case anyone missed anything. Having said that, wretched excess isn’t ALL bad - did you know there is a chocolate FOUNTAIN in the Bellagio? It’s the biggest one in the world…
http://www.chocolatefalls-scotland.co.uk/bellagio_fountain.htm
Yeah, I took a picture of the chocolate fountain, too. More importantly, the gelato in that joint (just past the beautiful solarium with it’s flowers and butterfly house) is superb!
Have fun.
Thanks for all your nice messages and email.